Jackson County officials are again weighing how to expand the county jail. The biggest hurdle may not be construction costs, but how to pay to run a larger facility.
When the Jackson County Jail opened in 1981, it was already too small to meet demand. Inmates sued the county four years later over overcrowding. Modifications in 2017 helped ease some of the strain, but the jail still needs 300 to 400 additional beds.
During a meeting with commissioners on Tuesday, County Administrator Danny Jordan said voters rejected a proposed taxing district in 2020 because they wanted to see alternative ways to reduce crime.
"We pretty much addressed the things that people said were an issue," he said. "But one thing that is very difficult to address is the cost issue, because that was the biggest barrier.”
That includes the county's mobile crisis response program, which pairs mental health staff with paramedics as an alternative to law enforcement during a mental health crisis.
Jordan said a $190 million bond could fund the expansion, costing the average homeowner about $10 more per month — less than half the amount proposed in 2020. The project would bring the jail’s capacity to about 624 beds, he said, but staffing and operations would remain a significant challenge.
Jordan said he’s been thinking of some ideas to cover increased costs, like a surcharge, but they haven't been feasible.
Jordan said the county would likely expand the jail and then operate only as many beds as it can afford.
"Even if we don't use it for beds, we may be able to use it for programming," he said. "So we may be able to use it for drug treatment or mental health treatment."
Commissioners were on board with the idea and gave the green light for Jordan and county staff to continue exploring ways to fund operations for the proposed jail expansion.
Commissioner Rick Dyer said a "podular" jail design, where cells are clustered around a common area, would allow for easier expansion or shrinkage in the future.
"We don't have that flexibility now," Dyer said. "And I think this is a way to offer all of that flexibility and all those potential solutions for the future."
A vote to build expand the jail is several years a way and would come only after the county has solved the operational funding issues.
